


The Most Beautiful Thing, Part Two

by jeweldancer



Series: Cas and Dean [23]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Cohabitation, Domestic destiel, Family Drama, Fluff, M/M, Moving In Together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-12
Updated: 2016-06-12
Packaged: 2018-07-14 16:47:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7181054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeweldancer/pseuds/jeweldancer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cas moves in! When they go to his old place to pack, Cas tells Dean some of his memories about the place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Most Beautiful Thing, Part Two

Later that morning, after pancakes and bacon had been prepared and devoured, Dean lay contentedly on the couch with his head in Cas's lap. Cas was stroking his hair and occasionally running the back of his hand over Dean's face. It was heavenly, and now he was going to have this all the time. God only knew what he'd done to deserve something this good.

He smiled up at Cas. "We gonna go get your stuff today, baby?"

"I hate to even leave the couch, but I suppose we should. That way I can be settled in by Christmas."

Dean hoisted himself up to his feet. "I guess I gotta put some real clothes on, then."

Cas had already showered and dressed while Dean was mixing the pancakes, so he stayed put. He felt so at home in the apartment already; not having to constantly ferry clothes back and forth was the icing on the cake.

The front door slammed and Jess breezed into the living room, dressed in sweats and running shoes. "Morning, Cas!" She went straight to the fridge for water, and did a few stretches at the kitchen counter. 

"Hey, Jess. Did you have a good run?"

"Not bad. I had to keep moving, or I would've frozen." She collapsed into a chair.

"I need to get back into running," Cas mused. "When I was staying at my old place, I'd go for a run a few times a week."

"Your old place?" Jess grinned at him.

"Yeah. You knew he was going to ask, didn't you?"

"Uh-huh. Of course he had to talk to Sam about it first, and Sam can't keep a secret. We're really happy for you guys."

"Thanks, Jess. It's almost too good to be true."

Jess shook her finger at him. "Don't think that way, Cas. You deserve this. You and Dean are incredible together."

"Well. We're going to pick up some of my things in a few minutes. I'll have to make sure I get my running shoes."

"Ooh, good idea. We could run together, if you're interested. It's easier to be motivated if you've got a running buddy."

"That would be great!" Cas was relieved. It had taken him months to figure out a safe route for his morning runs at his old apartment. He'd had some unpleasant moments when his planned route took him through a horde of commuters waiting for the bus, or a line of people outside the coffee shop. Coming upon a crowd unexpectedly sometimes made him feel panicky. He thought he would feel braver with Jess, though. "I really appreciate this."

"I'd really enjoy your company. Plus, Sam worries when I'm out running alone. So you'd be doing me a favor, too." 

Dean entered the room in time to hear the last part of the conversation. "I know running keeps you healthy," he quoted, "but God, at what cost?"

Jess smacked his shoulder as he walked by. "We'll have you running and doing yoga with the rest of us before you know it."

"Bunch of exercise freaks." Dean was grinning. He made a mental note to thank Jess later. Cas loved running, and it would do him good to get some fresh air. "Ready to go, babe?"

A few minutes later, they were headed across town in the Impala. Cas squinted into the morning sun until Dean dug a spare pair of sunglasses out of the glove compartment. "You should keep those, Cas. You look really sexy in aviators."

Cas scrunched up his nose and blushed slightly. God, he was adorable. Dean could hardly believe his good fortune. He felt like calling up everyone he'd ever known and telling them about Cas. He could picture himself talking to Mrs. Moseley, his second grade teacher. "Well, you see, he's so darn cute when he wrinkles his nose, ma'am. You'd understand if you met him."

Cas's apartment was really a condominium, but he'd always thought calling it that seemed ostentatious. It was nice, with plenty of natural light, but pretty bare, Dean thought. Other than a sofa, a small television set, and a coatrack, most of the space was taken up by art supplies, canvases, and finished paintings. It was so different from their shared apartment, which was filled with comfort and family. "Are you going to miss staying here?"

"My studio is here. I'll still come back to work."

"I hate that our apartment doesn't have room for a studio, but maybe it's better for you to have a quiet place to work." Dean wanted to touch the canvases, but he was afraid he'd mess something up. He settled himself on the sofa. "You've lived here since college, right?"

"I've had this place since I was 18." Cas arranged some paintbrushes on the table. "I know, you're wondering how I could afford it."

"Not really. Well, kinda. I know your parents haven't given you anything since you decided to go to art school."

"Right. Well, my grandmother, as you know, lived frugally but had quite a bit of money. My father was her only child, and she was afraid that after she died, my mother would get ahold of the money and waste it on frivolous things. When Gabe and Anna and I were teenagers, she decided to use most of her savings to pay for our college educations. She wanted us to have the freedom of attending any school we wanted, and to study whatever we pleased. If our parents had paid for it, we wouldn't have had that luxury."

Dean tried to imagine what it would be like to have enough money to pay for three college tuitions on a whim. It made him feel dizzy.

"However, when I was a high school senior, I submitted my portfolio to the Samuel and Deanna Campbell School of the Arts. I was not only accepted to the school, but awarded a full scholarship. My grandmother was so proud. It almost made up for how disappointed my parents were." 

Dean reached a hand out to Cas and pulled him toward the sofa. Cas settled in next to him and laid his head on Dean's shoulder.

"I was in serious doubt as to whether I should accept the scholarship. I was so afraid. I pondered it over until the week before I had to let the school know if I would be attending. Grandmother called me one evening and asked me to come for dinner the next day. She made her famous lasagna--I can still remember how good it tasted." Cas closed his eyes, savoring the memory. "After dinner, she told me that since I no longer needed money for college, she'd like to use that money to do something else for me. 'Don't overthink it,' she said. 'Just tell me what you think would help you most.' I finally blurted out that what I needed was a place where I could feel safe; one that no one could take away from me. Grandmother understood. She always knew me better than anyone. And so she gave me this place." 

"Wow." Dean shook his head. "That's an amazing gift. I mean, not just that it was expensive. But...she gave you freedom, right? You could live your dream without having to worry about your parents."

"Exactly. This place was a lifesaver for me. I could come in, lock the door, and feel perfectly safe. It was heaven." Cas sighed. "I know that I've been very fortunate. Not very many people have had the opportunity that I did. But I took it and ran with it."

Dean slid his arm around Cas's shoulders. "Listen, baby. After what you went through as a kid, you totally deserved to have something good happen to you. And I'm so glad you had this. Won't you feel sad, though? Leaving the place where you felt so safe?"

"Sometimes being safe is very lonely, Dean." Cas smiled up at him. "I've lived alone in a bubble for too long. True happiness requires some risk." He rose from the couch and headed toward the bedroom. "I won't be long, I'm just going to pack up some clothing and my favorite books. Feel free to look at whatever you like. You can't hurt anything."

Dean had seen paintings that people had commissioned, and lots of drawings, but he hadn't really gotten to look at most of Cas's work. He felt a little bad about that. Cas had fit in so well with the Winchesters' lives and interests, but he needed to make time for the things Cas loved as well. Dean knelt to look at some paintings leaning against the living room wall.

There was a portrait of the fiery-haired Anna, looking off into the distance solemnly. The next one was a young man that Dean instinctively knew was Gabriel, even though he'd never seen him. He was smiling, with a little quirk of the lips that suggested a sense of humor. Past that, a beautiful older lady stared straight out of the canvas, as if she were looking into Dean's soul. It had to be Cas's beloved grandmother, and Dean felt as if she was sizing him up. "I'll be very good to him, I promise," Dean whispered.

"Did you say something?" Cas emerged from the bedroom, a duffle bag slung over his shoulder, and a box of books in his arms.

"Jesus, Cas. It never ceases to amaze me how fucking talented you are." Dean gestured toward the paintings. "I mean, there are no words. You're a genius. I don't know what you're doing with me, but I'm going to do my damnedest to make you happy."

Cas's face lit up. "You make me very happy, Dean. You're the best person I've ever met, and I'm going to do my damnedest to make you happy as well."

Dean knew he was grinning like a fool, but he couldn't stop himself. God, how had he gotten so lucky? "Is that all you're gonna take with you? I can make room for whatever you need. Anything you want."

"I don't need much. This is fine."

"Do you want to take any of your paintings? We'll find a place to hang them up. They'd class the place up quite a bit, to be honest."

"Hmmm." Cas looked around, considering. "Maybe this one?" He pointed to a smaller painting featuring the Novak siblings as children. Cas and Gabe had big smiles, and Anna was laughing. "I painted this one from a photo that my grandmother took. I was ten. My parents took a two-week vacation and we got to stay with Grandmother the whole time. She took us to an amusement park, camping and swimming. Everything we never got to do normally. It's probably my best memory from before we met."

"It's beautiful, Cas. You can hang it wherever you want." Dean leaned over and kissed Cas's temple quickly. "Here, I'll get the books. You carry the painting, so it won't get damaged."

"All right. You go ahead. I'm going to take another look around really quick, make sure I didn't forget anything."

After Dean shut the door behind him, Cas stood quietly. The air was thick with memories of long days spent working, the silence never disturbed by anything more than the swish of a paintbrush or the creak of a chair. Of evenings spent with a book and a peanut butter sandwich, trying to ignore the aching need for something more. Of nights when he awoke alone, pulled from the precipice of some nightmare. Cas felt that if he stayed, he might run into the ghost of his former self, just around the corner. "Hang in there," he whispered into the listening silence. "Things are going to get better than you ever imagined." 

He scooped up the little painting and stepped out the door, where Dean was waiting.

**Author's Note:**

> Dean's "quote" is a misquote of a line about jogging from Parks and Recreation.


End file.
